Favourite piano brand?

[piano]

This is just a thread for fun.
Do you guys play piano or like any certain piano brand (like Steinway, C.Bechstein, Yamaha, etc...)?

 

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[piano]

I'll start:
I've pretty much only played on Yamaha (grand) pianos so far.
We have one Yamaha grand in school on which I'm regularly practising on, and it's really good.
I've really grown on that piano haha.
Other than that I once played on a Steingräber grand.
It was terrible lol. It felt pretty cheap and it was basically all plastic LOL

I'd love to try all other brands like Steinway and Bechstein and own a concert grand one day

 

[James Mayhew]

The piano I have (in my profile pic) is a Yamaha C3, made quite a long time ago but it was hardly played by its owners so it was in good condition when we got it. It's got a nice action and sound - not perhaps as heavy action as some of the Kawai pianos tend to have, but with good weight. The school I'm at is a music school and has a few good Steinway concert grands which are nice to play. I see you played a Steingräber - a number of years ago in Germany I visited their showroom/factory, but can't remember how they felt. Also (briefly) played a Fazioli which I think was good.
By the way what repertoire are you learning currently?

 

[piano]

The piano I have (in my profile pic) is a Yamaha C3, made quite a long time ago but it was hardly played by its owners so it was in good condition when we got it.

Nice! I'm playing on a similar one at school, I forgot the modell though

It's got a nice action and sound - not perhaps as heavy action as some of the Kawai pianos tend to have, but with good weight.

I know what you mean, it's great.

Also (briefly) played a Fazioli which I think was good.

I've only heard good things about them so far as well. It sure be pricy tho haha

By the way what repertoire are you learning currently?

Currently learning Burgmüller Etüde Op.105 no.1, Chopin Mazurka Op. 7 no.2, Bach Inventio 13.
Still relatively beginner-esque but I'm working on it.
hbu?

 

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[jerryB]

When it comes to grandpianos I'm a Steinway guy, however when I went to music school as a kid I played mostly Yamaha. Steinway has a very soft, inspiring sound that just makes you want to play it. Love it.

 

[piano]

When it comes to grandpianos I'm a Steinway guy, however when I went to music school as a kid I played mostly Yamaha. Steinway has a very soft, inspiring sound that just makes you want to play it. Love it.

Steinway has a soft sound? I've always heard the opposite from other people. Interesting

 

[James Mayhew]

Nice! I'm playing on a similar one at school, I forgot the modell though

I know what you mean, it's great.

I've only heard good things about them so far as well. It sure be pricy tho haha

Currently learning Burgmüller Etüde Op.105 no.1, Chopin Mazurka Op. 7 no.2, Bach Inventio 13.
Still relatively beginner-esque but I'm working on it.
hbu?

Ah cool - they're all nice pieces. I remember a while back my teacher told me to learn that Bach invention from memory without ever playing it until I had it memorised - just reading from the score. It's a good practice to do with pieces.
Currently learning Tchaikovsky piano concerto No. 1, Bach Prelude and Fugue in F minor (book 2 from WTC), 1st mov from Schubert's Sonata D. 845 and one of my compositions (link is the sheet music of it).

 

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[piano]

Ah cool - they're all nice pieces. I remember a while back my teacher told me to learn that Bach invention from memory without ever playing it until I had it memorised - just reading from the score. It's a good practice to do with pieces.
Currently learning Tchaikovsky piano concerto No. 1, Bach Prelude and Fugue in F minor (book 2 from WTC), 1st mov from Schubert's Sonata D. 845 and one of my compositions (link is the sheet music of it).

Nice pieces! Also, memorising a whole piece from memory? Insane dude. I might try it myself. Also, your composition is 7 Minutes long! Imma listen to it when I have time.
update: I heard a Steingräber recently and I kinda changed my mind. It sounded pretty good

 

[piano]

Ah cool - they're all nice pieces. I remember a while back my teacher told me to learn that Bach invention from memory without ever playing it until I had it memorised - just reading from the score. It's a good practice to do with pieces.
Currently learning Tchaikovsky piano concerto No. 1, Bach Prelude and Fugue in F minor (book 2 from WTC), 1st mov from Schubert's Sonata D. 845 and one of my compositions (link is the sheet music of it).

that shit SLAPS
However, and I am sorry to break this to you, I think you'd need a Liszt to play this for you

 

[RicardoGrande]

I grew up being able to play on a nice upright piano my dad found at an estate sale.
Been wanting to get back into it but have to get an electric one for space reasons.
I've been staking out facebook trying to find an alesis grand recital (88 keys, polyphony, graded-hammer action to replicate feel of a real keyboard) but haven't found one yet. They're only about 460-520$ new though but I saw one used once before and now I can't let go of the thought of a great deal on a facebook marketplace find.

 

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[James Mayhew]

that shit SLAPS
However, and I am sorry to break this to you, I think you'd need a Liszt to play this for you

Yo thanks!! Glad you like it!
Don’t worry it’s definitely within my reach - it’s been a big challenge to learn but I’m getting there, and will be performing it in March in a concert.

 

[savefox]

I don't play piano but I've tried probably 90% of all brands. Steinway is my favorite, then Yamaha. I have a Kawai upright at home, it's not bad as well.

 

[Bekit]

learn that Bach invention from memory without ever playing it until I had it memorised - just reading from the score. It's a good practice to do with pieces.

Ok my mind is blown at this.

So just from looking at the sheet music alone, you memorized the piece.

Then you played it for the first time.

From memory.

Am I understanding that right?



I'm just trying to wrap my mind around this. In general, when you play pieces from memory, do you pull up a picture of the score in your head, or do you memorize pieces by the look of the keys or the sound of the music?

 

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[odlyprincess]

Although I like Steinways when it comes to grand pianos, I played largely Yamaha during music school when I was younger. You just want to play the Steinway because of its soothing, energizing tone. I like it.

 

[James Mayhew]

Ok my mind is blown at this.

So just from looking at the sheet music alone, you memorized the piece.

Then you played it for the first time.

From memory.

Am I understanding that right?



I'm just trying to wrap my mind around this. In general, when you play pieces from memory, do you pull up a picture of the score in your head, or do you memorize pieces by the look of the keys or the sound of the music?

Just for the record, I don't do that with most pieces, not for any particular reason but simply because I've been lazy with my mind in that respect, but yeah that one time the teacher I had asked me to do that - which did take me several weeks mind you, as I wasn't doing the memorisation work everyday because.... I'm lazy in that respect.
It's a great thing to do as you can gain a more intimate understanding of the piece and have it fully memorised, before then simply letting the fingers commit that to sound. Otherwise learning the normal way while practising is slower in that respect and less effective.

In answer to your other question, it's kind of a complex mix of everything I would say (although not so much having a picture of the score while playing, personally). The music sort of gets deep into the essence of you and a combination of things like muscle memory, more conscious memory and yes things like looks of the keys, and patterns in the music and in the geography or topography, as it were, of the keyboard, all merge together, if learnt thoroughly enough, to produce a performance.

Out of interest do you play piano or any other instrument?

 

[James Mayhew]

I don't play piano but I've tried probably 90% of all brands. Steinway is my favorite, then Yamaha. I have a Kawai upright at home, it's not bad as well.

Wait what do you mean you don't play piano if you have one and have tried so many?

 

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[savefox]

Wait what do you mean you don't play piano if you have one and have tried so many?

Oh I used to move them. It's a very good business niche by the way. You can make like 30k per month working 4-5 hours a day. Regular moving companies usually don't touch them so you can charge $300-500 for a local move that only takes 30 minutes.

 

[savefox]

Wait what do you mean you don't play piano if you have one and have tried so many?

Steinways are super easy to move. You can tip them on their lyre, put on on a piano board and take the legs off in 2 minutes. Put it in the truck, and do everything in reverse. Easy $500

 

[James Mayhew]

Oh I used to move them. It's a very good business niche by the way. You can make like 30k per month working 4-5 hours a day. Regular moving companies usually don't touch them so you can charge $300-500 for a local move that only takes 30 minutes.

Ah ok - makes sense now!
That’s cool about the business - I’m guessing you had someone else helping to move them? As long as the insurance is all in place that does sound like good pay indeed
Not sure if it’s comparable enough but my dad’s an electrician and also earns quite a lot from not all that much work time - though of course you need to be savvy on the business side of things and good with people to get and keep clients with that.

 

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[savefox]

Ah ok - makes sense now!
That’s cool about the business - I’m guessing you had someone else helping to move them? As long as the insurance is all in place that does sound like good pay indeed
Not sure if it’s comparable enough but my dad’s an electrician and also earns quite a lot from not all that much work time - though of course you need to be savvy on the business side of things and good with people to get and keep clients with that.

Yes, you need 2 people to move a piano. You can do it by yourself but it's too risky.

 

[savefox]

@piano maybe you should try that instead of washing windows. I'm sure there’s a lot of pianos that need to be moved in Deutschland

 

[James Mayhew]

Steinways are super easy to move. You can tip them on their lyre, put on on a piano board and take the legs off in 2 minutes. Put it in the truck, and do everything in reverse. Easy $500

Wow… that’s awesome! You make it sound so easy - was it easy with the business side of things?

 

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[savefox]

Wow… that’s awesome! You make it sound so easy - was it easy with the business side of things?

Depends on the state. You have to get a bunch of licenses and permits, and insurance. You also need a truck with a liftgate and some other equipment. Obviously you need to know how to move them safely. If you drop a Steinway or something like that it won't be good

 

[savefox]

Wow… that’s awesome! You make it sound so easy - was it easy with the business side of things?

Google ads would work best for getting new customers

 

[Bekit]

Just for the record, I don't do that with most pieces, not for any particular reason but simply because I've been lazy with my mind in that respect, but yeah that one time the teacher I had asked me to do that - which did take me several weeks mind you, as I wasn't doing the memorisation work everyday because.... I'm lazy in that respect.
It's a great thing to do as you can gain a more intimate understanding of the piece and have it fully memorised, before then simply letting the fingers commit that to sound. Otherwise learning the normal way while practising is slower in that respect and less effective.

In answer to your other question, it's kind of a complex mix of everything I would say (although not so much having a picture of the score while playing, personally). The music sort of gets deep into the essence of you and a combination of things like muscle memory, more conscious memory and yes things like looks of the keys, and patterns in the music and in the geography or topography, as it were, of the keyboard, all merge together, if learnt thoroughly enough, to produce a performance.

Out of interest do you play piano or any other instrument?

Awesome.

I would say I am going to have to try that, but I fear my mind is no longer agile enough to pull it off.

I play the piano (and that piece!) but it has been years since I practiced, so I am super rusty. A year or two ago, I sat down to learn a new Bach invention (WITH the score) with the intention of memorizing it. Still to this day, I don't have it memorized. Sob.

Granted... I didn't practice it very faithfully, and I haven't touched it in more than a year. So it's not hard to understand why. It's just hasn't been enough of a priority to devote focus and energy to it.

Lately I've been so rusty that I'm even making massive mistakes on basic stuff like scales.

But I'll have to admit, your post stimulated my brain in a way that really made me want to try this.

Oh, and on the original topic of this thread.... I'll put myself down as preferring Steinway as my favorite brand, but the instrument I have at home is a Baldwin Acrosonic (spinet) piano that I picked up for $25 at a garage sale.

 

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